I think the two need to work together.
I often see something. It captures my attention. I wonder about it. I try and replicate it. My creation is usually pretty bad. But there is something captivating in the process or the results. It stands out as something that keeps the momentum moving. It doesn’t have to be a positive outcome. It’s often a tremendous fail that triggers an avalanche of ideas. And sometimes the fail or success just taps us into a new direction of thought.